Yuna

Naren tilted his head as he watched Vera's expression contort in the alleyway. She looked like she was going to cry at first, then something solidifying silently before disappearing once more.

Naren whispered under his breath.

"It's you isn't it. You're shrimpy."

Dian gently pet Vera's head while Naren watched from the corner. He didn't know what business these guys had with Vera. Frankly speaking, he didn't care. Nor did he care how he knew this girl. All he knew was that she meant something.

Naren's eyes stayed focus on Vera whose lips quivered. Then they focused on Dian's exposed hand. A ring on almost all his fingers glistened lightly from a stray ray of light.

In the next moment, Naren's bare feet appeared from atop Dian's hand. Dian lunged back quickly, letting Naren land in between him and Vera.

"I'll be borrowing her guys."

A playful look danced in Dian eyes as a strange feeling tangled in his chest. The feeling of an emotion instilled into his body even if his memories didn't reciprocate.

"You...That hair...My soulmate..."

"You're what—"

Before Naren could finish a heavy punch came barreling from behind Dian, barely passing by Naren's ears. Naren weaved, grabbing Vera and slinging her over his shoulder amidst her wriggling.

"Naren, put me down this instant!"

Her voice pained by each word.

Theron trudged up to Naren, closing the distance in a slow heavy motion that creaked with every step. Watching, Naren pivoted over his left foot, digging a roundhouse kick right into Theron's waist.

Well it should've dug right in, instead it flowed straight through leaving Naren spinning like a top. In the midst of which Theron threw an elbow right at Naren's chest.

In the last second, Naren moved his shoulder right in front of the elbow. Sending a surge of pain through his whole arm as he fell back, throwing Vera off his shoulders.

In a kip up, Naren was back on his feet, holding onto his shoulder.

"You don't skimp out on your spinach do you?"

Naren weaved as he closed the distance, bobbing from left to right, Throwing a right hook as soon as he was within range. However, once again it went right through again.

Giving no time to readjust, Theron slid past his fist, rematerializing instantly with a heavy plowing right into Naren's abdomen.

Staggering back, Naren held his stomach, trying not to to let his insides spill out as he croaked out:

"Weasel..."

'He's too much of a pain.'

Naren's eyes flicked around, looking for any escape route.

Just as they did, he noticed Vera running in between them. The faint image of her doing the same in front of Cairo flashed by his eyes. An image that Naren couldn't quite remember happening.

Vera grabbed onto Theron, blocking his path to Naren while holding her head down. As if she was afraid of anyone else seeing her expression.

Her words left her mouth in a pained lurk while her thoughts scattered in opposition:

"Naren...You need not come on my account."

'I'm scared.'

"They are considerably stronger than us."

'They're scary.'

"They are more than capable of taking me to Atlas."

'I don't want to go.'

THUD.

By the time Vera looked up, Naren's knee was already drilled into Theron's nose, throwing him back, blood spurting out.

Dian put a hand over where his mouth would be in the hood. His hand disappearing into the darkness of the hood.

"Oh my!"

As Theron stumbled back, holding his face, Naren landed, immediately grabbing Vera and pivoting off his left leg.

"Sorry shrimpy. I've never cared for your say."

Before Vera could even react to what had happened, Naren was already sliding through the alleyways, jumping over crates and barrels.

Luckily, Lastlight was built like a maze. Other than the open town square where the shopping district made its nest, the rest of the city was an amalgamation of stairs and terraces layered atop one another forming an endless run of narrow hallways.

Slipping into one of the closest corridors, Naren dropped Vera on the ground just before a dead end.

"Ow — what on earth—"

Naren crouched in front of her, motioning with his arms:

"Get on. It's annoying running with you like that."

Vera hesitated for a moment. But it was a moment that Naren didn't have. So he forced her on, holding her tight so she doesn't fall off.

"You're damn annoying."

He mounted over the wall, hearing the creaky trudge get closer, along with something slimy close behind.

Pulling the two up to a rooftop, Naren began jumping from one terrace to another, Vera's grip tightening. Her eyes were held shut, holding back tears as she mumbled: "Let me go..."

Naren didn't know why, but it made him mad. Maybe because he was doing all this to help her. Maybe because he could tell that she didn't really want to be let go of. But either way, whatever connection he had to her, she had a knack of getting under his skin.

He turned his head back. Nothing. The two sounded far away, but he had to make sure. The big guy could always go silent when he phasing through things...like...like a ghost...

A sudden irrational fear panged through Naren's chest causing him to trip over himself into a roll, throwing Vera off his back.

He rolled to his feet, panting. Vera right beside him, getting up. She threw a punch at his stomach, one of those kiddy hits that couldn't hurt no matter how much they tried.

"What on earth possessed you to do that?"

He didn't respond.

"You should have let them take me...You could have found another witch...I was hardly of any use to you."

Oh, that's right. She was the witch he was accompanying right? That makes sense. That's why he was so hung over reconnecting with her.

Vera looked up, her eyes trembling from holding back tears.

Before Naren's eyes were directed at one of the figures enjoying ice cream while sitting at a round table. A hooded figure in a dark brown cloak. Shadows wisping where their face would be. She looked right at Naren. Or at least that's what he thought, he couldn't tell without seeing her face.

"So this is where you were. I had to send someone else to keep an eye on Nico."

Naren felt annoyed by her. But at the same time, he felt relieved finding her. But now he was more curious about her hood.

"Where's that ice cream even go? Do you have a mouth?"

The hooded figure held out two fingers. Her voice escaping from the black wisps of the hood:

"You really think you can take on two of them?"

Naren tilted his head.

"What're talking about?"

He started putting everything off about her together. The two fingers she always waved. Something about that. Was it the fingers? Number? Why did it seem like it mattered? His face scrunched as he tried to reach for something just barely out of reach.

He ruffled his hair in frustration.

'This woman's such a problem.'

Woman. Wait how'd he know the figure was a girl. It's not like he ever saw her face through that hood. Well she was calling herself a princess. So that was probably when. Wait, when did she do that?

A sudden inexplicable voice repeated in head.

His eyes widened as he titled his head. Cat like golden pupils sending a chill down Vera's spine. Similarly, even the hooded figure shuddered. A slight grin made it's way to Naren's face.

"You're Yuna."

—————————————

Nico stood over the burned body of a guard inside the once dark dungeon, now lit up by flames. His eyes wincing as he looked at the horrible sight.

He looked away, staring at the man taking heavy steps in front of him. Each step steaming as it left the imprint of his wooden sandals in the stone.

"Uhm, Sir... I'm thankful you helped me... B-but you shouldn't hurt them...They're Fae...The—"

Nico stopped himself, rubbing his pale, almost transparent looking hands in unease as he watched the one-eyed man turn his attention back to him.

Lit by dim embers dancing along corpse, his short white hair seemed to wisp like smoke, layering his sharp face. Bandaged on one side, his one eye was a dull grey.

When it flicked itself onto Nico, he couldn't help but grasp at his neck making sure it was still there. This man was a murderer.

He titled his head as he spoke.

"How long was you here?"